This Is Home
by sedlakova
Summary: A different ending to LMHYBRO, unspoken understanding between Rory and Logan. 4parter...
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This takes place in LMHYBRO, and then goes my way, dammit! It might end up being a 2 or 3 parter, but let me know if you think it should finish where I left it or continue... Thanks!

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Another hellish trip with Mitchum, this one in Omaha. On the plane back, dear old "dad" hinted about sending me away for a year, probably to London, to learn responsibility. The very concept is laughable. If he knew me at all, he'd know I've never been more responsible in my life than I am with Rory. I study; I write because I want to; I attend class on a regular basis. Although that last one's mostly so I can report back to my little dork so she can still feel connected to Yale. 

Ugh. Just the seed of London planted in my head turns my stomach. All I've wanted from the moment he told me was to be with Ace. All she has to do is hold me, as cliché as that sounds. In the past, after a particularly fun father-son moment, I'd head straight to the pub, drink loads of expensive scotch, and find some nameless girl to fuck, all in an attempt to numb myself, to forget. I've since realized that that never actually made me feel better; it simply postponed the pain.

But with Rory, all she has to do is touch me, and the pain, the anger, it's gone. She calms me, keeps me whole even as I'm falling apart. She believes in me, trusts me, and loves me. God, I love her. The only place I want to be is wherever she is.

It scares me sometimes, how much I need her. I've never needed anyone like this, both physically and emotionally; hell, I never knew it was possible until my Gilmore girl entered my life. I never had what you could call role models for this. My parents don't need each other, and they sure as hell don't need me for anything other than business. But I see Richard and Emily, and how they couldn't live without each other. I see how much Rory needs her mom right now, even if she won't admit it to me. She knows what it's like. But does she need me half as much as I need her?

As I pull into her grandparents' driveway, I start to question if she needs me at all. She's with some other guy, some greasy-haired loser, and my heart drops to my stomach. I want to scream that she's mine – I haven't felt like this since she went to Finn's birthday party with Robert ages ago.

"Hey, Logan, I thought you were getting back tomorrow."

"I thought I'd surprise you, Ace." Although one could say that I'm the surprised one.

But then she looks at me, and I know she's trying to read me, my reaction. Her depthless blue eyes reassure me, and I can tell that she senses something's up. Something big. She introduces me to her friend, who seems harmless enough close up.

"Well, I'm glad you did 'cause you get to meet my old friend, Jess. This is Logan, my boyfriend. Logan, this is Jess. He's in from out of town. Wow. That sounded so grown-up. We're at the age now where we say things like "in from out of town" and "old friend", 'cause when you're young, all your friends are new, and you have to get old to have old friends."

She then turns to Jess, puts her hand on his arm, and says something I can't quite hear. My hands clench in my pockets until she looks at me and smiles, "Logan, can we swing lunch with Jess tomorrow?"

"Sure," I reply noncommittally. As long as he goes away right now, I think to myself.

Jess nods, not getting why dinner needs to be cancelled. He can't see that sometimes, despite Rory's adorable tendency to ramble, we don't need words to communicate. He walks away, leaving me to my girl.

She places her hand on my face the way I love, her thumb in front of my ear, her fingers tangled in my hair. Those amazing eyes of hers showed complete understanding.

"So, what happened with Mitchum?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now," I say, as she gathers me in her arms. I bury my face into the porcelain skin of her neck, and inhale deeply. 3 days. I was away from her for 3 days, and nearly went insane. I can't even begin to fathom a year in London without her.

I push the unbidden thoughts away, and step back. Taking both my hands in hers, she says, "Give me your keys." I don't let anyone drive my Porsche, but she's an exception. She's exceptional. I let her drive it the first time just because I thought she'd look incredibly sexy. And she did. Unbelievably so. So she's allowed, usually as some sort of fun foreplay. But tonight is different. Her eyes dart from the road to me and back again. I know her mind's in overdrive, wondering what my father's done to me this time, but I just enjoy the silence. And she knows I'll tell her when I'm ready.

Back in my apartment, she leads me to my bed and undresses me, very matter-of-factly. I can honestly say that for the first time with her, I don't want sex. But I say nothing-- she's got her determined face on. She lays me down, and undresses herself just as simply. None of the slow teasing with her brilliant smile, none of the frantic ripping of clothes when her eyes are clouded with lust. I wonder what she's up to, when she lies down and pulls my head to her chest.

"Listen," she whispers. "I've got you. I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere."

Wrapped in her naked embrace, listening to her heartbeat, I never want to let her go. And I decide then and there that I won't.

"I love you, Rory," I murmur.

"I know," she smiles into my hair as she leans over and kisses the top of my head.

"And I'm not going anywhere either."

And I mean it. I'll do whatever it takes to stay right here with her. This is home.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Big thanks to my reviewers, y'all are great! It's because of you that I decided to post this next part! So thanks! I think there will just be one more part after this...

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Waking up next to a naked Rory Gilmore is the stuff dreams are made of. I must say, I'm lucky enough for it to be my reality, less so now that she's under Emily's nose, but still… My head is still resting on her stomach, and from this vantage point, she looks like an angel, so sweet and innocent. But I know just the thing to change that, and, in a way, thank her for last night. I keep the sheet over us, so the cold air won't wake her. I kiss her everywhere I can reach without moving too much, avoiding the places she's ticklish. I continue lower, and watch her eyes pop open in realization as I bring her to the edge. Surprised, yes, but I can see the cloudiness in her usually sapphire eyes and I know what it means. Sure enough, she pulls my face up to hers and kisses me deeply and I have to grin against her mouth. Once upon a time, I got her to admit that she loves the taste of herself on my lips. From other women, that would sound kinky, but from Ace, it was actually cute. She knows why I'm smiling, and giggles embarrassedly, wrapping her legs around my waist. I accept her invitation, and lose myself in her. 

As we lie tangled after the sheets are long gone, she pries her eyes open, and playfully admonishes me. "No fair, I needed coffee first and you know it!"

I do know it, so I go to visit Arthur. So named because he was hers and she felt he looked out of place amidst my space-agey chrome appliances. So he's Arthur Dent, lonely human traveler in space. I've resigned myself to her silly quirk of naming inanimate objects, and have, on occasion, humiliated myself in front of my friends by using the object's Gilmore name, as opposed to, say, toaster. Who's called Poppy, in case you were wondering.

As I wait for Arthur, I contemplate how to tell her a) about Mitchum's latest bullshit, and b) my decision to… what? Leave the evil empire? Tell him no? Lay down some ground rules? I really need to talk to Rory about this, get her opinion. It always helps to have her input, and let's face it, she'll _always_ voice her opinions.

The aroma of the coffee lures her into the kitchen, and she smiles weakly at me as she sits at the bar and I hand her a cup. The way she licks her lips softly in anticipation makes me want to take her hand and pull her back to the bed, but I know I have to talk to her. Shit.

"So, you wanna go first?"

I shake my head. I'm still not ready, nor did I expect her to jump right in like that.

"Ok, I'll go. Chicken. Jess was my boyfriend my senior year in high school. And I hadn't seen him in years. He was always super intelligent, he just never applied himself. Kind of like you last year, I guess," she winks at me. "Anyway, he showed up the night before last totally out of the blue, to bring me this."

She hands me a small book, poor quality printing, but she's beaming, she looks so proud of it.

"The Subsect, Jess Mariano," I read.

"Now open it to the first page, Logan."

"_To Luke, for supporting me, financially and emotionally, you are the best friend a guy could ask for. __And especially to Rory, for believing in me when no one else did. You are always in my thoughts. Thank you both. I love you_."

Is this a profession of love from an ex? I remember her hand on his arm, but then realize I'm being the jealous guy. That's not me, and I trust Rory with all my heart. But this Jess guy? I don't quite know what to say. So I try to cover it.

"Uh, is this Luke, your mom's Luke?"

"Yes, he's Jess' uncle. Jess lived with him for the last 2 years of high school. Everyone else wanted to believe the worst in him, but Luke and I gave him a chance. So he came here to show me and tell me he couldn't have done it without me. We were going out last night to celebrate it. The end." She shoots me her knowing look. "So do you want to explain the insecurity I witnessed in my driveway last night, Master and Commander?"

She always knows what to say to make me laugh, to relax. That name is reserved for certain moments, and it always works.

"I don't know, Ace. You scare me."

"I scare you? What am I, Carrie at the prom?"

"No, Rory, it just scares me sometimes how much I need you. You could go to the moon and back all on your own, you're so independent."

"Well, in case you hadn't noticed lately, Logan, I've been depending on my grandparents for a roof over my head, and my job. And without you, I don't know what I'd do, especially with my mom not talking to me. You're like my lifeline, sometimes. You're the only one who isn't pressuring me one way or the other. You trust me, in my ability to figure out my life for myself. I love you for that."

"About your mom, Rory, I know both of you are too stubborn to make the first move, but your mom loves you. She isn't forcing you to do anything you don't want to do. She isn't designing your life for you. She doesn't want to send you to London for a year, regardless of what you say!" That wasn't exactly how I'd planned on telling her, but I guess now it's out.

Her jaw drops. "London? A year? This is what happened yesterday? This is why you showed up, looking shell-shocked?"

"Yeah," I mutter, looking at my feet.

"So when do you have to go?" she asks, sounding resigned.

"That's the thing, Ace, I think I've decided that I'm not going."

"Can you just decide like that? What will happen with the company? Your family?"

I stare at her. Does she really think those things mean anything to me?

"Rory, in case you didn't realize, you, Honor, Finn, and Colin are my family. But that's it. You guys know me as a person, not just a being created to fill a business or social need. I don't need them. The way they treat both of us is unforgivable, and I can't believe I've tolerated it this long." Rory lip trembles as though she's about to cry. I guess she didn't know I thought of her like that. I should make a point of telling her that sort of stuff, and not assume that because she knows me well, she knows what I'm thinking all the time. I reach over and grab her hand reassuringly.

"And I sure as hell don't need their money," I add.

"Oh really?"

"Really. My trust fund kicks in when I turn 25, so I won't be hurting for cash. But I think I won't have to resort to that. I think Mitchum and I should have another talk, one that I'm fully prepared for."

"What are you going to tell him?" she asks, biting her lip. She actually looks scared for me.

"I'm going to ask him who else he's going to get to be his 'heir'. Who else can run his beloved company, the one he loves more than his damn kids? Honor studied Art History, for Chrissakes. And…"

"And then tell him what you are and aren't willing to do for the evil empire..." she raises her eyes to meet mine, and completes my sentence. It's unnerving that she can easily finish my thoughts, but I think I know her just as well, if not better, I'm just not as good as expressing it as she is.

"Exactly, lay some ground rules. I mean, I love journalism, and if I could choose my career, it's what I'd choose. I just hate being pushed and manipulated. So, rule one, I refuse to work outside of the northeast. And I refuse to leave Connecticut until you finish Yale. Because you will, I'm sure of it." She doesn't respond to that, really, but I catch the hint of a smile as she looks down at her feet.

"What about business trips?"

"No more than 5 days a month."

"Three."

"Four."

"Deal!" we say in unison, laughing. I honestly didn't think I'd end up laughing about a decision as big as this! And that my heart would feel so light!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, so this is the last part. I don't think I want to take it further, since Logan leaving HPG has been done by better writers! I just hope that you enjoyed it, and if you did, let me know :) Thanks again!

* * *

We're waiting in a diner in Hartford for Jess to join us for a late lunch. I suggested this place, since their burgers are fabulous, and it wasn't formal so Jess wouldn't feel uncomfortable. Something told me he wasn't a 4-star restaurant kind of guy. 

I let out a very unmasculine giggle when I see what she's added to our list of ground rules for Mitchum. _Logan will not begin his day with a noose around his neck. Translation: no ties._

I take the pen from her and add, _Logan's future wife will NOT have to take part in any charity or society events that she doesn't wish to be a part of, nor will she be forced to be on any boards or join any societies that she doesn't wish to be a part of._

A year ago, writing the words "future wife" would have sent me running for the hills, or more probably a yacht. Strangely, this doesn't bother me at all. I actually feel happy about it. Huh.

I look at our list, with its many coffee rings on it, and have to smile at the insanity of it. Honestly, although I'm nervous about talking to Mitchum tonight, I think I'm ready. Look at what I've got for a support system.

"I can't believe you have to schedule a meeting with your father. That's just ridiculous," she rants. "I just don't understand how a parent can not be there immediately when their kid asks!"

She grabs the pen, and writes, _Logan's children will never have to schedule an appointment to talk with their father. _There's a hole in the paper where she put the period, that's how forcefully she pressed the pen. Good thing the tabletop's Formica.

"Uh, Ace, that doesn't really have anything to do with being a CEO."

"Yes, it does. If you're not home often because of work, then your kids will need to be pencilled in."

"But we've already covered that in the "how many days per month I have to be away."

"Not really, you could just be in the office really late, and by the time you get home, they'd already be in bed."

She sounds so damn adamant about this, and eyeing the canyon she's made in the table, I start to have trouble breathing. Could she be pregnant? We've both been so careful… And I like to think that I would just _know_, you know? "Ace, this is hypothetical, right? You're not trying to tell me something, are you?" I ask, biting my lip nervously. I honestly have no idea what I'll do if she tells me 'yes'; I think my heart has stopped.

She starts laughing; I don't know what set her off: my face or my question. But she's bent over, her face red, practically snorting with laughter.

"Lord, Logan, that was the funniest face you've ever made in my presence!" she gasps between breaths. "And no, we're not going to be parents anytime soon! Dork!"

Right as I'm about to defend myself, Jess walks up to the table, and sees Rory still giggling with tears rolling down her face.

"Let me guess, something involving Kirk and Oompa Loompas?" he asks wryly, taking in the scene.

Well, that just sets her off even more, and I roll my eyes at him, extending my hand to shake. I figure I should give him the benefit of the doubt, although I don't believe for one second that he's stopped loving Rory. I can't imagine loving her and then stopping. Or leaving. I bet this guy kicks himself in the ass every day for letting her go. And I wouldn't blame him.

"Hey, Jess, glad you could join us. I heard about your good news, congratulations."

"It's nothing, really, a print run of just 500." I see him eyeing me up, and judging me, based on what? My clothes? My car?

"Yeah, but it's a start. I have to say, I only managed the first chapter this morning before the coffee monster came in…" I notice her eyes widen; she clearly didn't notice the book on the kitchen counter this morning. "It seems like it's based on people you know, your life."

"Yeah, it is. Tell me when you recognise Rory."

"Well, while she's incapacitated, give me the scoop on Ace as a teenager."

"Rory? Where to start? She brought a book with her every where she went, even on dates. She always kept one..."

I interrupt, "In her purse? She still does that."

"Hey, at least my bags are nicer now than they were in high school! Plus, you always had one rolled up in your back pocket, defiled with your notes!" She's finally managed to get her giggles under control. I shoot her a look that says the previous conversation is not over, just postponed, and look back at Jess.

"Whatever. You liked the notes, and loved to argue about what I'd written."

"Yeah, yeah, someone's full of himself! So let's talk about your masterpiece, shall we?"

"I just want to know what _you_ think of it," Jess says. "I could care less what other people think," he added, looking at me.

"I really enjoyed it. You know why? It doesn't remind me of anything I've ever read. And you know that's a lot. It's completely original. I read it twice yesterday, and I think I saw lots of Stars Hollow townies in there. Question, is the character of Kath based on me?"

"Uh," Jess stammers, and is saved by the waiter arriving with the coffeepot, offering refills. Which Ace gleefully accepts, of course.

"Rory, you know you're gonna die early if you keep up your old consumption level," Jess scolds her, and she brushes it off.

"Wow, you really are related to Luke! And I'll have you know, my addiction has only gotten worse since I started college."

"Speaking of college, Rory, what the hell is going on with that?"

"Luke hasn't filled you in?"

"Nope. He just alluded to something with you and your mom, which in and of itself is just plain freaky."

"I'm taking some time off; I'm not sure what I want to do with my life anymore."

"Are you kidding? Amanpour Junior? You've always known what you wanted. I'm supposed to be the loser with no sense of direction, not you." Funny, that was the impression I got when I saw him last night.

"I'm not the innocent bookworm you used to know, Jess. I'll have you know, I spent a night in jail not too long ago," she informs him, a hint of both pride and shame in her voice.

"What the hell are you doing, Ror? Dropping out of Yale, not talking to Lorelai, avoiding Stars Hollow? Jail? This isn't you!" Jess stands up abruptly, damn near knocking over the table.

"I don't know, but it's up to me to figure it out. Not you, not my mom, not even Logan. Me. I have to work this out by myself. If you can't accept that, then you can leave. But don't you dare come here and pass judgment on me. Not after everything you've done." Shit, her determined face again. I continue sitting quietly, lacing my fingers with hers, wanting to defend her but knowing she has to defend herself. This is her friend, and it's not my place.

"Ror...," he starts, and then just turns on his heel and walks out.

She tries to put on a brave front, but I can tell this one hurts, added to the judgment of her mom. I see where he's coming from, hell, I agree with him, but I could kill him for hurting her. I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her close to me.

"Why can he change, and I can't? How come he can become something and I can't? And how dare he judge me like that?"

I think I know. "Ace, he's obviously known you a long time, and loved you a long time. And my best guess is that he's had you on a pedestal for years. He doesn't know what to make of a Rory who's not the one he remembers and idolizes."

"Do you think of me that way?" she sniffs.

"Are you kidding? It was a relief finding out that you weren't perfect. Not made of porcelain, although you do look it." I wink at her. "And you are still the woman I fell in love with. Determined, stubborn as hell, opinionated: you won't let anyone tell you what to do, and I respect the hell out of that. Look at how long it's taken me to come to that realization about _my_ life."

"So I guess we found each other, huh?"

"We sure did, Ace."

"So you're sure we're not pregnant?" I ask again, going back to our earlier conversation, trying to take her mind off Jess.

She dissolves into a fit of laughter again, her face flushing, and I can't help kissing her senseless. Yep, this is definitely home.

FIN


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Ok, so stupid me, I thought the last chapter was the end, but after much encouragement, and several PMs from some super cool party people, I decided to tie up those loose ends. But this is it. The end. I swear! Thank you for all your suggestions and support, y'all are great!

* * *

So this time, I'm leaving yet another meeting with my father, and as usual I'm speechless. Unusually, however, I don't feel anger, frustration, or seething hatred. Or even a sore throat, since our 'discussions' often end in shouting matches. Or a desire for a nice, stiff drink.This is a new sensation, let me tell you. I am a bit nervous about talking to Rory about it, though, even though I know she's waiting for me to come over and report on my 'appointment' with my dad. Another strange feeling, leaving a meeting with my dad and thinking of him as my dad, and not Mitchum. Calling him Mitchum usually fits, seeing as I don't consider him to be a dad. I never have until today. 

I arrive at my apartment, throw down my stuff, and take out my phone to call Rory. But before I can flip it open, I hear music, and low singing and I know to head to the bathroom. I love having her in my place, I love seeing her stuff everywhere, and I want to ask her to move in. The over-protectiveness of Emily is daunting, and a bit of a hindrance on our sex life, but I don't want her fighting with her grandparents as well. She has enough people angry or disappointed in her. I just have to wait, I guess.

I crack the door open a little, and sure enough, she's got my portable stereo in there with her, and I recognize the music, something she sometimes plays in bed. I'll admit, it's sexy as hell, something Attack, but it doesn't seem to fit her musical taste, which I'm still learning, even after all this time.

Her eyes are closed, and she looks beautiful. Well, she always looks beautiful, but she also seems relaxed. Her ivory skin has turned pink, and I wonder if she's just gotten in there. I clear my throat, and she jumps in the tub, sloshing a wave of water across the lip of the tub and onto the floor.

I lean over to kiss her, and she raises her upper body to meet mine, and I immediately forget what I'd come here to talk to her about. She laces her fingers in the hair at the back of my neck, and pulls me closer to her, causing me to lose my balance. Reflexively, my arm goes to the bottom of the tub to stop me from falling in; she looks up at me and grins, and I realize exactly where my hand is when she rubs herself onto my wrist. The water is almost cold, and she's incredibly warm and wet, and not water-wet either. All of a sudden, the pinkness in her face is explained, and I know just what she'd been up to before I got here. Damn, if only I had arrived a bit earlier! My thoughts are instantly clouded by her bare wet chest against mine, and I'm barely aware of her hands moving to rid me of my shirt.

I whisper against her neck, "Hey there, Ace, did you miss me?"

"Very much," she breathes, taking my hand that's in the water and sliding herself onto my finger. Good lord, that's got to be one of the sexiest things she's ever done, and my breath catches. "You know, you should've been here about 5 minutes earlier, Logan. I really could've used a hand."

My eyebrow raises, and I have to make sure I'm not imagining things, so I say, "Seems like you had it under control without me, Ace."

She continues sliding herself up and down as I move another finger inside her, teasing her with my thumb, and whispers, "It's never enough, I'm never enough anymore, I need you," as she nibbles my ear. I realize just what she's telling me, I feel the same way very often, so I make sure she gets more than enough. After her body tightens and quivers for the third time, she looks exhausted but sated, so I scoop her up from the cold water, wrap her in one of the obscenely large fluffy towels she insisted that I buy, and carry her to the bed. She nestles herself into my side, and then sits up with a start, "Wait! I should be the one taking care of you, not the other way around! You had that meeting with the devil!"

"Ace, just watching you is pleasure enough for me sometimes," I admit, and her eyes widen in surprise. I guess she didn't expect that, but it's true. Knowing that I'm the one who made her glow like that, who made her so happy, all problems momentarily forgotten… well, that vision stays with me all day.

"So?"

"So?"

"Oh, don't make me say 'so' again, Logan! What happened with Mitchum?"

"Well, it's a good thing you're sitting down, because I think you might fall over from the shock."

"Get to it already, I don't need a prologue!" She pauses, taking me in. "Something's different. You're smiling!" she accuses me, poking me in the chest. "You're smiling after a meeting with your father! This, this needs to be documented, pictures hung in the Smithsonian, "Milestones in the Life and Times of America's Royals" or something like that. It went well, I take it? I mean..."

"If you want to hear the story, let me tell it, woman!" I say in fake frustration, knowing that sometimes, once she gets on a roll, it's hard to stop her. Although I revel in the fact that she's figured it out before I even start, just from my smile.

"Ohhhhkaaaay," she says, stretching out the word, rolling her eyes.

"I sat down with him, not at his desk. I wanted us on equal footing, so we sat in those armchairs in the corner, you know, the hard red leather ones that are less comfy than a dentist's chair but more comfy than a torture device." Oh lord, I'm rambling like her.

A little flustered, I continue, "I laid everything out, I even showed him the paper we wrote this morning, and he laughed. I mean a real laugh, Ror, not one of those society laughs he does so well. He seemed to understand how serious I was, how serious we are, and agreed to every point on our paper. Every last one."

Her mouth is hanging open, and I have to tell her, "I know! I looked a lot like you do right now, mouth agape, sitting in shock. Get this, my dad actually told me that he was proud of me."

She looks like she's been hit by a truck. And she's speechless, so I think that should go in the Smithsonian as well.

"He said that he was glad I didn't allow myself to be steamrolled by him, that I stood up for what I wanted, for what I believed, instead of just contradicting everything he said, as I usually do," I add, smirking.

"And he admitted that his father tried to do the same thing to him, and that's when he stood up to him, and disappeared for a while, traveling, writing, learning about the news but outside of HPG."

She nods in realization. "That must be that 'Jesus-time' I discovered when I was researching him!" she exclaims.

"Exactly. And he told me that's when he found my mother, something to piss granddad off. He said that he was actually a little jealous, that not only have I found someone to love and who loves me back, but that I've also found a partner, someone who complements me perfectly. I think he was just waiting for me to stop fighting for the sake of fighting, and instead fight for myself," I say, gauging her reaction.

"Wow. I know, Yale education, I should be able to come up with something better, but that's just, wow. Do you think he means it, that he won't change his mind later?" she nervously asks, biting her lip. I love that she's so concerned about me, and my future. My last name has never meant anything to her, and it never will. That means so much to me.

"He's actually going to have it drawn up into a contract, which will go into effect the day I graduate and start working full-time for HPG. I have to meet with him and the lawyers next week to go through it, and sign it. He seems serious, Ace."

"Again, all I can come up with is wow." Her face is lit up, and she looks so happy for me, for us, that I think this is a good time to say what I have to say.

"I know. And I had this revelation, Ace, driving over here. My standing up to the tyrant I never thought of as a dad can in no way be harder than you talking to your _other_ better half, and have you looked outside?" King of the segues, that's me.

She looks utterly confused, and it's adorable. "What are you talking about?"

"Go look." I'm betting a lot here, but I think this might be the kick in the butt she needs. She's told me about this weird relationship she and Lorelai have with this weather, and I wonder just how strong it is.

She tiptoes to the window, the towel still wrapped around her, and peeks out at the campus.

"It's snowing! How on earth can it be snowing? I didn't smell it, it's not possible! Snow knows that it must announce itself to the Gilmore Girls' olfactory senses before anyone else, that's just common courtesy, and…"

I have to interrupt, "Hey Ace, did you ever stop to consider that maybe, just maybe, you were a little too preoccupied earlier to notice? It was snowing when I got here."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Well, why didn't you say so?"

"Remember how preoccupied you were?" I point out.

She blushes furiously, clearly remembering her time in the tub, and it takes all I have not to pull her back down to the bed. "The instant I saw you, I was the same," I'm not ashamed to admit.

"Okay, so get dressed, you miscreant, we have a friend to greet!" she smiles, as we pull on jeans and sweaters very quickly, but I catch the hint of sadness in her voice. I know, as much as she loves me, that I'm not the one she wants to share the first snow with. That honor lies with Lorelai.

"I have a better idea, Ace. How about a drive to Stars Hollow? Go for that walk with your mom, have cocoa at Luke's?" I look at her imploringly, and I can see she's scared.

"Ace? Ace, look at me. Lorelai came to your birthday party…"

"But she left without saying goodbye!"

"We've talked about this, Ace. I'm sure she felt uncomfortable, and out of place, and you know she would never set foot in her parents' house if it wasn't for you. Or drink a Rory," I smirk. "But she took that step. It's your turn now. I think the snow is a sign." I hope she doesn't see this as pushing, just gentle coaxing. Hell, if I could get her to jump off that scaffold...

"But I don't want to fight with her again, it hurts too much. Fighting with her, my grandparents, Jess-- it's just too much."

"Then don't." I take her hands into mine and rub my thumbs over hers, trying to reassure her. "Just walk together, and if you talk, then talk calmly. Just be with her. I'll bet she wants to share the snow with you, too. Plus, she's not nearly as scary as my dad," I add, earning a weak smile. I see her thinking, and know she'll do it.

She takes a deep breath. "Okay," she says firmly, her face and voice reminding me of when she decided to jump with me last year. That's my girl. She's not weak, she's one of the strongest people I know.

"Do you want me to drive?" I offer, knowing that inside she's a wreck, much like I was on my way to my dad's earlier this evening, and I don't want her driving like this, especially on snowy, slushy roads.

"Please," she says with a real smile. I don't know if she realizes how lucky she is to have a mom like Lorelai. She's had more parental love and attention and support in her life than me and my friends combined. I am a bit envious of that, not in a bad way, just wistful, I guess. I do understand her mom's reaction to Ace not being in school, but the removal of that support system broke her daughter. I'm doing the best I can, but I know I'm a poor substitute for Lorelai. I truly believe that Rory is my soul mate, but I also believe that she has been blessed with two: me and her mom.

The drive is silent, and I can imagine all the thoughts running through her head. My hand stays on her knee, letting her know yet again that I'm here, and that I'm not going anywhere. She keeps worrying her lip, and I raise my hand to stop her, running my thumb over the red marks. She kisses my thumb softly, and sighs, "Thank you."

Is this for stopping her destruction of my favorite lips in the world, or for getting her to visit her mom? Before I can ask, we are pulling up to her mom's house. I lean over, placing my hands on both sides of her face, and pull her gently towards me. I kiss her forehead, her nose, and her lips, and murmur, "Call me when you're ready. You can do this, Ace."

She nods determinedly, "I know", takes a deep breath, and opens the door. I watch her disappear into her childhood home. Leaving her car in the driveway, I decide to have my own snow walk. See if it's all it's cracked up to be. Right as I'm turning around the trees, I see Rory dragging Lorelai outside, laughing, putting a hat on her as they descend the stairs together.

And I know everything is going to be ok. Maybe not right away, but I feel like today is a turning point not just in our relationship, but in our lives. She is home to me, but she has two: me and her mom. And I wouldn't change that for the world.

**

* * *

THE END, I swear!!!!! **

BTW, the music she's listening to is Massive Attack.


End file.
